With the enactment in May 2014 of the Organic Law for Strengthening and Optimization of the Corporate and Securities Sectors (OLSOCSS), the role of the Corporate, Securities, and Insurances Superintendence (CSIS) were modified. Previously, the CSIS has the assignment of approving ex ante all of the corporate acts that a company wanted to make. However, with the enactment of the OLSOCSS the CSIS went on to have only assignment of monitoring and have ex post control ...
In this article, we provide a brief overview of the most important new rules applicable to Hungarian data protection laws after 1 October 2015. BCRs accepted after 1 October 2015 Binding corporate rules (BCR) have so far not been recognized by Hungarian law and, thus, could not be used whenever personal data were transferred to a non-EEA country ...
In commemoration of the firm’s 70th anniversary, SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan (SyCipLaw) produced a publication about the general guidelines in doing business in the Philippines. It aims to showcase the Philippines as an attractive venue for business ventures and to also guide the businessmen and lawyers alike in their business decision making ...
The government's stated approach to transparency in the supply chain provisions is to strike a balance between improving transparency in the supply chain whilst ensuring that businesses take appropriate and proportionate action to tackle modern slavery. The government's response provides useful definitions which are encompassed within the term 'modern slavery' for the purposes of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 ...
Writer, Margaret Rouse, describes a social media policy as “a corporate code of conduct that provides guidelines for employees who post content on the internet, either as part of their job or as a private person”. Underestimating the significance of a sound social media policy may lead to dire consequences for an organisation ...
Moving faster than many expected, the National People’s Congress of China promulgated the amended Food Safety Law (“2015 Food Safety Law”) on April 24, 2015. The 2015 Food Safety Law will be effective on October 1, 2015. The 2015 Food Safety Law is regarded as the most stringent food safety regulation in the history of China ...
Since the FDA issued the final menu labeling rule last December, franchisors have been asking what their role and liability is within the framework created by the FDA. In spite of years of FDA consideration and extensive input from industry, food establishments that are subject to the rule remain uncertain about how to comply with its requirements. In addition, the FDA has said very little about how it will enforce the rule To read the full alert, click here ...
Despite the apparent opening of the door for foreigners to engage directly in retail trading in Myanmar under the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) Notification No 49 of 2014, in practice this door was still closed to foreigners in the new car sales sector. With limited exceptions (discussed below), foreigners could not, even on the basis of Notification 49: (i) import new cars (ii) register new cars in their name (iii) sell those cars or (iv) own and operate a new car showroom ...
In this age of social networks, the dividing line between private life and public life seems more and more blurred. The same is true of the boundary between individuals' personal and professional lives. Indeed, headlines in the past few weeks remind us that the personal and professional aspects of an individual's life can sometimes become confused, at great cost to the individual ...
Earlier this year, the UK government launched 'Tech Nation'; an interactive data project that shows the growth of digital businesses within specific areas/regions across the UK. The report is the first of its kind and ranked Belfast as the second highest region in the UK in terms of the highest average company turnover in this sector, with Greater Manchester securing the top spot and Sheffield, Inner London and South Wales coming third, fourth and fifth respectively ...
Heightened concerns over recent National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) complaints authorized against McDonald’s, USA, LLC—which threaten to undermine the common understanding of a franchisor-franchisee relationship and expand the definition of “employer”— caught the eye of Texas legislators during the recently concluded 84th Regular Texas Legislative Session ...
A wave of settlements with municipal underwriting firms under the SEC’s Municipalities Continuing Disclosure Cooperation (MCDC) Initiative has brought renewed attention to continuing disclosure obligations in municipal offerings. But, it also raises questions about the initiative’s purportedly favorable settlement terms. On July 18, 2015, the SEC announced settlements with 36 municipal underwriters for willfully violating Section 17(a)(2) of the Securities Act ...
Directors’ liability for payroll withholding taxes Due diligence: An evolving standard To what risks of liability or being found guilty are directors exposed? Environmental liability of directors and officers DIRECTORS’ LIABILITY FOR PAYROLL WITHHOLDING TAXES Luc Pariseau and Audrey Gibeault
Recently adopted regulations from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) came into effect on June 19, 2015, facilitating qualifying companies’ access to capital and providing investors with additional investment choices. Commonly referred to as Regulation A+, the regulations amend and expand the exemption for smaller public offerings under Regulation A (Rules 251 to 263 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”)) ...
Internal investigations conducted by enterprises in-house when irregularities are suspected offer many advantages to businesses compared to initiatives undertaken by public law enforcement authorities ...
There have been recent interesting developments in Latin American aviation. Set forth below is a discussion of some of them. Topics include: General Outlook Key Mexican Reforms U.S. and European Expansion Mexico: Dynamic Aviation Sector The Venezuela Crisis Excerpted from Latinvex. To read the full article, click here ...
On April 21, 2015, the State Council of China (i.e. the central government) adopted the proposed draft of Administrative Measures on Concession of Infrastructure and Public Utilities Projects (the “Infrastructure Measures”) ...
Merger control in Ukraine: overviewRegulatory framework1. What (if any) merger control rules apply to mergers and acquisitions in your jurisdiction? What is the regulatory authority?Regulatory frameworkMergers and acquisitions, as well as establishment of an undertaking and appointments to corporate positions under certain circumstances, are subject to merger control in Ukraine ...
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) touted 2014 as a record year for its enforcement program and noted cases that spanned the spectrum of the securities industry. Actions against municipal securities issuers and underwriters particularly stand out among the many areas of aggressive enforcement in 2014 ...
The Wills and Probate Registry in the Dubai International Financial Centre (the “Registry”) opened in late April of this year. It is now possible to register a will in Dubai, and to have a high degree of confidence that it will be enforced in accordance with its terms. Prior to the establishment of the Registry, it hadn’t been possible to be so confident that foreign wills would be enforced in the United Arab Emirates ...
The SEC’s Division of Investment Management issued a guidance update last week reminding registered investment advisers and registered investment companies of the importance of cybersecurity and providing recommendations on specific measures that advisers and investment companies should consider in addressing their cybersecurity risks. Last week’s guidance update demonstrates the SEC’s continued focus on cybersecurity as part of its compliance initiatives ...
The Securities Exchange Commission (“SEC”) is continuing to promote its whistleblower reward program and recently announced awards to two individuals who provided key information leading to successful SEC enforcement actions. One whistleblower, a compliance officer, will receive an award of approximately $1.5 million. The other whistleblower, a former head trader, will receive a maximum payout of 30 percent of the amounts collected (which totals over $600,000) ...
At first glance, "net neutrality" may seem a natural principle for the internet environment. This expression, however, gives rise to sometimes divergent interests and some concerns. As a general concept, net neutrality means an open Internet, through which consumers would be able to make their own choices about the content they wish to access and share, as well as the services and applications they want to use ...
Last week the U.S. Department of Justice’s Cybersecurity Unit (“DOJ”) issued guidance to organizations concerning preparing for, responding to, and remediating cyber incidents. DOJ based its publication on lessons learned by federal prosecutors who handle cyber investigations and prosecutions, as well as feedback from private sector victims of cyber attacks and intrusions ...
In recent enforcement actions, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) sued four payment processing companies – not for engaging in illegal debt collection – but rather, for ignoring warning signs in processing payments for debt collectors who were engaged in fraudulent debt collection schemes. The CFPB charged the payment processors with violating 12 U.S.C ...